Best Bar Food

Sanchos Cantina

Chef Sean Villarreal has managed to do the near-impossible by creating a menu of affordable bar food that works as something more — much more — than stomach filler. Sancho's has won fans as a late-night eating option because the food rocks harder than the bands playing in the main bar. Its deceptively simple menu offers a variety of tortas, tacos and empanadas made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Vegans and vegetarians will also be happy to know they're not left out when it comes to choices. Unexpected twists, from sweet-and-tangy pickled onions to an addictive avocado salsa, take the choices up to the next level. Villarreal's hamburguesa blends organic beef and zesty chorizo and serves it up on a house-made bolillo topped with Monterey Jack, chiles and the aforementioned avocado salsa. Clientele also keeps streaming back for the crisp, fried shrimp balls and the vegan frijoles a la charra, which sacrifice all the pork and none of the flavor.